Airbnb is stepping up to prevent unauthorized and disruptive parties this New Year’s Eve – or at least trying to.
The short-term property rental company is rolling out new anti-party technology around the globe, aiming to block high-risk bookings and ensure a peaceful holiday for its hosts and neighbors.
Last year, nearly 74,000 people worldwide were deterred from booking on Airbnb for New Year’s Eve, Airbnb said in a news release on Thursday.
This year, the company is turning to machine learning.
The system assesses various factors, such as trip length, listing type, distance from the guest’s location and timing of the reservation. If a booking is flagged as high-risk, it will either be blocked or redirected to alternative rentals, the company said.
“While issues are rare, we want to do our part to help reduce the risk of unauthorized and disruptive parties,” said Tara Bunch, Airbnb’s global head of operations. “Airbnb is committed to supporting hosts and the communities they live in, and we hope these defenses allow guests, hosts, and neighbors to celebrate the holiday with added reassurance.”
The new measures will be in effect in countries and regions including the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.
For guests looking to book entire home listings, there will be restrictions on one to three-night reservations. Also, guests will need to confirm that they understand Airbnb’s “anti-party” policy and the consequences of violating it, which involve suspension or removal from the platform.
Airbnb said that, since 2020, it has seen a 60% drop in party reports over New Year’s Eve.
Airbnb is stepping up to prevent unauthorized and disruptive parties this New Year’s Eve – or at least trying to. The short-term property rental company is rolling out new anti-party technology around the globe, aiming to block high-risk bookings and ensure a peaceful holiday for its hosts and neighbors. Last year, nearly 74,000 people worldwide […]
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